Minnesota Unions and Churches Lead Economic Blackout Against ICE

Economic Blackout Protests ICE Surge

• ✊ Hundreds of businesses in Minnesota participated in an economic blackout, staying closed for the day to protest the surge of ICE agents in the state.
• 🎯 Organizers, including faith leaders and unions like the CWA Local 7250 and AFL CIO, called the event a "day of truth and freedom," with some likening it to a general strike.

Worker Power and ICE Opposition

• 🗣️ Kieran Knutson, president of CWA Local 7250, stated the strike is a response to weeks of what he described as a "racist campaign of terror by ICE agents" that has torn apart families and brutalized people.
• 💡 The action aims to demonstrate the power of the working class, emphasizing that "nothing runs without the working class in this country."
• 📢 The goal is to catch the attention of the "rich and powerful" and show the community the collective power they possess to fight back against ICE.

Organizing and Historical Context

• 🤝 The coalition was built upon existing activism and organizing in the Twin Cities, drawing experience and confidence from movements like the George Floyd uprising.
• 🌟 This action is described as unprecedented in the current generation, with organizers asking people not to go to work to demand ICE out of the Twin Cities.
• 💔 ICE is deeply unpopular in the Twin Cities due to their brutality, tactics, and the murder of Renee Good, making the demand for their removal a central theme.